EDUARDO P. MANUEL, petitioner, vs. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, respondent G.R. No. 16 !

"# Nove$%er #&, #'' FA(TS) T*is +,se is , petition -or revie. on +ertior,ri o- t*e de+ision o- (o/rt o- Appe,0s ,--ir$in1 t*e de+ision o- t*e Re1ion,0 Tri,0 (o/rt o- 2,1/io (it3, +onvi+tin1 t*e petitioner -or t*e +ri$e o- %i1,$3. Ed/,rdo P. M,n/e0, *erein petitioner, .,s -irst $,rried to R/%30/s G,4, on 5/03 1!, 1&6 , .*o, ,++ordin1 to t*e -or$er, .,s +*,r1ed .it* est,-, in 1&6 ,nd t*ere,-ter i$prisoned ,nd .,s never seen ,1,in %3 *i$ ,-ter *is 0,st visit. M,n/e0 $et Tin, 2. G,nd,0er, in 5,n/,r3 1&&6 .*en t*e 0,tter .,s on03 #1 3e,rs o0d. T*ree $ont*s ,-ter t*eir $eetin1, t*e t.o 1ot $,rried t*ro/1* , +ivi0 .eddin1 in 2,1/io (it3 .it*o/t G,nd,0er,7s 8no.0ed1e o- M,n/e07s -irst $,rri,1e. In t*e +o/rse o- t*eir $,rri,1e, t*in1s 1ot ro+83 ,nd G,nd,0er, 0e,rned t*,t Ed/,rdo .,s in -,+t ,0re,d3 $,rried .*en *e $,rried *i$. S*e t*en -i0ed , +ri$in,0 +,se o- %i1,$3 ,1,inst Ed/,rdo M,n/e0. T*e 0,tter7s de-ense %ein1 t*,t *is de+0,r,tion o- 9sin10e: in *is $,rri,1e +ontr,+t .it* G,nd,0er, .,s done %e+,/se *e %e0ieved in 1ood -,it* t*,t *is -irst $,rri,1e .,s inv,0id ,nd t*,t *e did not 8no. t*,t *e *,d to 1o to +o/rt to see8 -or t*e n/00i-i+,tion o- *is -irst $,rri,1e %e-ore $,rr3in1 Tin,. T*e Re1ion,0 Tri,0 (o/rt r/0ed ,1,inst *i$ senten+in1 *i$ o- i$prison$ent o- -ro$ 6 3e,rs ,nd 1' $ont*s to ten 3e,rs, ,nd ,n ,$o/nt 'P#'','''.'' -or $or,0 d,$,1es. Ed/,rdo ,ppe,0ed t*e de+ision to t*e (A .*ere *e ,00e1ed t*,t *e .,s not +ri$in,003 0i,%0e -or %i1,$3 %e+,/se .*en *e $,rried t*e priv,te +o$p0,in,nt, *e did so in 1ood -,it* ,nd .it*o/t ,n3 $,0i+io/s intent. T*e (A r/0ed ,1,inst t*e petitioner %/t .it* $odi-i+,tion on t*e RT(7s de+ision. I$prison$ent .,s -ro$ # 3e,rs, $ont*s ,nd 1 d,3 to ten 3e,rs. Pe+/ni,r3 re.,rd -or $or,0 d,$,1es .,s ,--ir$ed. Hen+e, t*is petition. ISSUES) 1. ;*et*er or not t*e (o/rt o- Appe,0s +o$$itted reversi%0e error o- 0,. .*en it r/0ed t*,t petitioner7s .i-e +,nnot %e 0e1,003 pres/$ed de,d /nder Arti+0e <&' o- t*e (ivi0 (ode ,s t*ere .,s no =/di+i,0 de+0,r,tion o- pres/$ptive de,t* ,s provided -or /nder Arti+0e "1 o- t*e F,$i03 (ode. #. ;*et*er or not t*e (o/rt o- Appe,0s +o$$itted reversi%0e error o- 0,. .*en it ,--ir$ed t*e ,.,rd oP*p#'','''.'' ,s $or,0 d,$,1es ,s it *,s no %,sis in -,+t ,nd in 0,.. RULINGS) 1. T*e petition is denied -or 0,+8 o- $erit. T*e petitioner is pres/$ed to *,ve ,+ted .it* $,0i+e or evi0 intent .*en *e $,rried t*e priv,te +o$p0,in,nt. As , 1ener,0 r/0e, $ist,8e o- -,+t or 1ood -,it* o- t*e ,++/sed is , v,0id de-ense in , prose+/tion -or , -e0on3 %3 do0o> s/+* de-ense ne1,tes $,0i+e or +ri$in,0 intent. Ho.ever, i1nor,n+e o- t*e 0,. is not ,n e?+/se %e+,/se ever3one is pres/$ed to 8no. t*e 0,..

I1nor,nti, 0e1is ne$ine$ e?+/s,t. ;*ere , spo/se is ,%sent -or t*e re@/isite period, t*e present spo/se $,3 +ontr,+t , s/%se@/ent $,rri,1e on03 ,-ter se+/rin1 , =/d1$ent de+0,rin1 t*e pres/$ptive de,t* ot*e ,%sent spo/se to ,void %ein1 +*,r1ed ,nd +onvi+ted o- %i1,$3> t*e present spo/se .i00 *,ve to ,dd/+e eviden+e t*,t *e *,d , .e00A-o/nded %e0ie- t*,t t*e ,%sent spo/se .,s ,0re,d3 de,d. S/+* =/d1$ent is proo- o- t*e 1ood -,it* o- t*e present spo/se .*o +ontr,+ted , s/%se@/ent $,rri,1e> t*/s, even i- t*e present spo/se is 0,ter +*,r1ed .it* %i1,$3 i- t*e ,%sentee spo/se re,ppe,rs, *e +,nnot %e +onvi+ted o- t*e +ri$e. T*e +o/rt r/0es ,1,inst t*e petitioner. #. T*e (o/rt r/0es t*,t t*e petitioner7s +o00e+tive ,+ts o- -r,/d ,nd de+eit %e-ore, d/rin1 ,nd ,-ter *is $,rri,1e .it* t*e priv,te +o$p0,in,nt .ere .i00-/0, de0i%er,te ,nd .it* $,0i+e ,nd +,/sed in=/r3 to t*e 0,tter. T*e (o/rt t*/s de+0,res t*,t t*e petitioner7s ,+ts ,re ,1,inst p/%0i+ po0i+3 ,s t*e3 /nder$ine ,nd s/%vert t*e -,$i03 ,s , so+i,0 instit/tion, 1ood $or,0s ,nd t*e interest ,nd 1ener,0 .e0-,re o- so+iet3. 2e+,/se t*e priv,te +o$p0,in,nt .,s ,n inno+ent vi+ti$ o- t*e petitioner7s per-id3, s*e is not %,rred -ro$ +0,i$in1 $or,0 d,$,1es. (onsiderin1 t*e ,ttend,nt +ir+/$st,n+es o- t*e +,se, t*e (o/rt -inds t*e ,.,rd o- P#'','''.'' -or $or,0 d,$,1es to %e =/st ,nd re,son,%0e.